In soil erosion control, it is desirable to control erosion permanently by replanting the exposed soil area which is eroding. However, until the soil is stabilized, replanting is impractical, due to the continued erosion of the soil as well as the soil's unsuitability for replanting without being reworked to facilitate plant germination and growth. One method of controlling soil erosion to enable replanting is by utilizing erosion control mats.
The soil erosion control mats previously available were designed to control soil erosion by retaining the soil in a fabric nap. But, to be effective in retaining the soil in the nap of the fabric, the mats had to have either a dense weave or be made of a heavy weight fabric. These erosion control mats have several drawbacks for erosion control. First, these mats tend to be expensive because of the amount of material used to provide the densely woven mat. Second, these mats also tend to be difficult to replant through because of their density and weight. Third, some of these mats also tend to be lifted by plants growing underneath the mat, resulting in inhibited plant growth and new sites for erosion being created. Fourth, most of the erosion control mats previously available did not hold seeds in place or retain moisture for seed germination. And finally, most of the erosion control mats previously available tend to be difficult to install, expensive to purchase, and less than effective in erosion control.
Thus, it would be a significant contribution to the art to develop an erosion control mat which demonstrates improved soil erosion control. Additionally, it would also be advantageous if an erosion control mat were developed which allowed for easy planting. Further, it would be advantageous if an erosion control mat were developed which allowed for improved growth of plants through the erosion control mat without inhibiting plant growth or generating new sites for erosion to develop. Moreover, it would be advantageous if an erosion control mat were developed which is inexpensive to produce, purchase, and install while being effective in erosion control.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide an erosion control mat which demonstrates improved soil erosion control.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an erosion control mat which allows for easy replanting through the erosion control mat.
It is also an object of this invention to provide an erosion control mat which facilitates the replanting of the exposed soil area by securing seeds in place as well as retaining moisture for seed germination.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an erosion control mat which allows for regrowth of plants through said erosion control mat without inhibiting plant growth or generating new sites for erosion to develop.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an erosion control mat which is economical to produce, inexpensive to purchase and install, and effective in erosion control.
Other aspects, objects, and several advantages of this invention will be apparent from the specification, examples, and claims.